Alarm clocks with snooze features are well known. A snooze feature is desirable because it allows a user to awaken gradually over a period of several minutes, rather than be awakened abruptly. It also allows a user to temporarily turn off the alarm if the user desires additional sleep without the danger of oversleeping, since the snooze feature permits the alarm to sound again several minutes later.
Most clocks with a snooze feature have a manual actuator, usually referred to as a "snooze bar" which activates the snooze feature. Of necessity, the snooze bar is usually a large pushbutton or similar structure on the top surface of the clock, so that it is easily locatable when the user, still drowsy from being awakened, wishes to activate it. The idea is to make the snooze feature easy to activate, since the purpose of a snooze feature would be largely defeated if the user had to do much more than reach out and touch the clock. On the other hand, it would be a disadvantage if the snooze feature were too easy to activate, since this could lead to inadvertent or unwanted activation. It would also be a problem if, in fumbling for the snooze bar, a drowsy user inadvertently activated a different control button and reset the time, for example. Thus, there has been a great deal of effort devoted to solving these problems. Unfortunately, many of these solutions simply don't work well or are cumbersome and annoying to a user. For example, schemes have been employed which require the simultaneous actuation of two buttons, and which therefore require two hands, to set the time, so that inadvertently pressing one of the time set buttons instead of the snooze bar will not reset the time. Many users find these schemes less than desirable.
One approach that has been tried has been in the context of a travel alarm of the folding type, in which the clock works are hinged to a clamshell-type folding case. When the clock is set up, it forms a triangular structure in which the clock works is supported between the halves of the clamshell case. A combination snooze bar and backlight switch (for the clock display) is located on the clock works where one of the halves of the case rests on the clock works. By pressing on the case where it rests on the clock works, the switch is activated. A disadvantage of this scheme is that the clock must be set up for the switch to be actuated. There are many instances where it is desired to have the advantages of an alarm clock and a snooze feature but where, for aesthetic or other reasons, it is desired not to have a visible clock. The travel alarm described above cannot solve this problem.
There is a need, therefore, for an alarm clock which is suitable for table, bedside or desk use which is unobtrusive, decorative, and has a snooze feature which is actuatable very simply by merely pressing anywhere on the top of the clock. The present invention fills that need.